Apparatus for aligning rigid strip material



A ril 16, 1957 R. C. BINDER APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING RIGID STRIP MATERIAL Filed Jan. 25, 1952 IN V EN TOR. lFE'avs CZ .Envase;

ATTQRNEY'S.

United States PatentO F APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING RIGID STRIP MATERIAL Regis C. Binder, Butler, Pa., assignor to Arnzco Steei florporation, Middletown, Ohio, a corporation of Gino Application January 25, 1952, Serial No. 268,225

4 Claims. (Cl. 271-25) This invention has to do with a method and apparatus for aligning rigid strip material. By rigid strip material I mean material like metal strip, as distinguished from strip material of cloth or paper which can stretch laterally and be distorted. The strip which is aligned according to the present invention, while referred to as rigid strip, is nevertheless flexible, but the term rigid has been used to distinguish metallic and the like strip from material which is capable of distortion in its plane.

In the processing of metallic strip where a strip of great length is continuously run through a series of operations which may include heat treatment, coating, trimming and the like, the problem of alignment has always been a serious one. It is important that the strip run in the center of the apparatus from end to end, not only to avoid damage to the apparatus, but also to avoid damage to the strip edges. When the strip does not run through along the center of the equipment, damage is sure to result and it usually entails costly delays before the operation can be resumed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of maintaining alignment of rigid strip material whereby the material will be maintained substantially on the center line of the apparatus.

It is another object of the invention to provide an aligning roll which will cause the strip running over it to track centrally thereof.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an arrangement whereby the roll over which the strip passes may be a driver for the strip, a braked roll to provide tension in the strip, or it may be an idler for a change of direction or the like, whereby the desired results are achieved in all cases.

These and other objects of the invention which will be pointed out in more detail hereinafter, or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts, and by that series of method steps, of which I shall now disclose exemplary embodimerits.

Reference is made to the drawings forming a part hereof, and in which:'

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of a portion of a strip treating apparatus showing a strip passing over and between a number of rolls;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the rolls;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on a line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a diagram useful in understanding the principle of operation of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a diagram of a simple demonstration of the principle of the invention.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention I provide a roll which may be a rubber roll, or a rubber covered roll, having a surface which is grooved or ribbed in a herringbone configuration. It makes no ditference from the standpoint of the invention whether a cylindrical roll is 2,788,969 Patented Apr. 16, 1957 'ice provided with grooves, or whether the ribs are molded in a manufacturing process of the roll. It is important that there be upstanding ribs which are in a herring-bone configuration, and that these upstanding ribs be of resilient material. I then pass the strip over such a roll in a manner that a force is created between the roll and the strip, which force acting on the ribs of the roll will be in a direction opposite to the points of the Vs of the herring-bone ribs. If the roll over which the strip passes is an idler roll simply for the purpose of producing a change in direction of the strip, or a braked roll to provide tension, then the roll will rotate in a direction opposite to the apices or points of the Vs. Careful study of the above statement will show that in either case the resulting force acting on the ribs of the roll is in a direction opposite to the apices or points of the Vs.

In Figure 6 there is presented a diagrammatic demonstration of the principle above outlined. Assume that 20 is a common rubber eraser secured to a surface 21. If

. a ruler 22 is pressed tightly against the eraser and pushed by a consideration of the diagram of Figure 5. I have shown there a rib, indicated generally at R, composed of the angularly related portions R and R". A portion of a strip is indicated at S. If the rib R is on a driver roll, the roll must rotate in a direction in Figure 5 to move the strip S downward, or in the direction of the arrow A. Thus the frictional force acting on the resilient ribs will be in a direction opposite to the arrow A. If the rib R is on an idler which is braked, the strip must be moving in the direction opposite to the arrow A, and a braking force must be applied to the roll, and again a relative frictional force acting on the ribs will be in the direction opposite to the arrow A. The apex or point of the herring-bone rib R" is of course, disposed centrally of the roll on which the rib is formed, and the result of the invention will be to cause the center line of the strip to track substantially along the points or apices of the ribs R.

Since there is a frictional force acting on the ribs R, it will be clear that the resultant forces F' and F" will be produced. The rib R produces the resultant F', and the rib R" produces the resultant F". These resultants are in a direction opposite to each other and toward the apex of the rib R. The strip is thus at all times maintained centrally of the roll on which the rib R is formed by the balancing of forces iiFIl 5FI.,

In Figures 3 and 4 where the roll is shown in detail, I have indicated a roll generally at 10 having a shaft 11. In the particular embodiment illustrated the roll is of steel or other suitable material, and has the periphery 12 of rubber or other resilient material. As mentioned above the ribs R may be formed by a molding process in the manufacture of the roll, or they could be formed by cutting the grooves G between the ribs R.

In Figures 1 and 2, I have shown more or less diagrammatically, a strip S passing through a series of rolls according to the present invention. It should be clear that the particular arrangement of Figures 1 and 2 is not intended as illustrating any particular processing step or apparatus, but simply to illustrate the principles above set forth in regard to the direction of rotation and the disposition of the herring-bone configuration in driven and idler rolls. I have indicated a pair of rolls at X," another pair at Y, and a third pair at Z. Those at X are shown as being driven through gearing 13, while those at Y and Z are idlers. A braking arrangement is indicated at station Z at 14. As a matter of actual fact the f;rictional force in frietion bearings is generally sufficient brake to produce the required distortion of the rubber ribs, and to provide the forces necessary for the guiding action of the roll. However, in order to illusirate h pr n ip s i have in ic t at s a on that e 1 11 m y, be b aked if req i s c rt i pp time The :Pair of rolls at urth rmor e ndr gated as take-up rolls, rather than as pinch trolls.

111 Figures 1 and 2, the strip is moving in the direction of the arrows, and the rolls are rotating .inthe direc- Elfin of the arrows. Since the pair of rolls at X are driven and vare imparting movement to the strip, they are disposed so that the direction of. rotation of the rolls is in the direction of the points or apiees of the of the herring-bone. This can be elearlyseen in vFigure 1 where the lower roll is indicated at X', and a portion of the uppfir roll is shown in plan view at"X". The frictional iorce between the rolls and the strip will be opposite to the direction of movement of the strip, and therefore opposite to the direction of the points of the V of the rolls X and X".

At station Z there are idler rolls between which the strip S? passes, and these rolls are braked as indicated at 14. it is necessary at Z therefore, that the rolls Z bedisposed with the points of the vs opposite the direction of rotation, and of strip travel.

At station the strip is simply passing around two idler rolls in oppositedirections successively. Since the strip is passing over the roll Y in the same direction as it passes over the roll Z, the roll -Y is disposed in the same way as the roll ZF However, the strip is passing around the roll Y in the opposite direction, and the roll 1 must therefore be disposed in the opposite direction to the roll Y and the roll Z;

A careful study of the various sets of rolls at X, Y, and Z, will show that in each case the herringbone configuration is so disposed that the frictional force between the strip and the roll is in a direction opposite to the points or apic-es of the Vs. It will also be understood that the direction of the frictional force with a driver roll is in a direction opposite to the movement of the strip; and in connection with idler rolls it is in the same direction as the direction of movement of the strip.

It will be clear that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself except as set forth in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. in a continuous strip line wherein a strip of rigid material passes through processing apparatus, an aligning roll over which said strip passes, said aligning roll having a surface, at least, of material more resilient than said strip material configured to provide alternate ribs 7 and grooves in a herring-bone formation exhibiting a series of Vs centrally around the periphery thereof, and means for producing between said roll and said strip a frictional force in ,a direction opposite to the apices of said Vs, said ribs being of such height and resiliency as to be deflected by said friction force. 7

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said roll is driven to transmit motion to said strip, the direction of rotation of said roll being in the direction of the apices of said Vs.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said roll is braked, and rotates in a direction opposite to the apices of said Vs.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said roll is an idler, and rotates in a direction opposite to the apices of said Vs said roll being mounted in friction bearings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,490 Emmerich June 6, 1899 1,337,530 Page Apr. 20, 1920 1,347,714 Rowley July 27, 1920 1,678,925 Tackaberry July 31, 1928 1,867,550 Cameron July 19,. 1932 1,901,306 Knowlton Mar. 14, 1933 2,011,736 Saurez Aug. .20, 1935 2,474,717 Belcher June 28, 1949 2,592,581 Lorig Apr. 15, 1952 2,622,448 Lorig Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 467,444 Great Britain June 17, 1937 

